Image forming and binding system and method

ABSTRACT

An image forming and binding system and method for producing a booklet of a document file, in which images of two pages of the document file are formed on each side of a full-size sheet (such as an A3 or B4 size sheet) conveyed in its longitudinal direction and an image of one page of the document file is formed on each side of a half-size sheet half the size of the full-size sheet (such as an A4 or B5 size sheet) conveyed in its lateral direction, and in which the full-size sheet conveyed in its longitudinal direction is folded in two at its center portion in the longitudinal direction thereof and the folded full-size sheet is stacked one upon another to be bound at its folded side edge portion and the half-size sheet conveyed in its lateral direction is conveyed without being folded to be stacked and bound while being mixed with the folded full-size sheet, so that blank pages in the booklet, which are caused when the number of total pages of the document file is not a multiple number of 4, are reduced.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to an image forming and bindingsystem for producing a booklet of a document file, and in particular toan image forming and binding system for producing a booklet of adocument file in which images of two pages of the document file areformed on each side of a sheet conveyed in its longitudinal direction,the sheet is folded in two at its center portion in the direction thesheet is conveyed, the folded sheet is stacked one upon another, and thestacked folded sheets are then bound at the folded side edge portionsthereof.

[0003] 2. Discussion of the Background

[0004] A binding technology used in producing weekly magazines is wellknown. After both-sided printed sheets are stacked and jogged, thestacked printed sheets are stapled at their center portions in thelongitudinal directions thereof by a stapling device, the stapled sheetsare folded at their stapled center portions, and then the side edges ofthe folded sheets opposite the stapled and folded side of the foldedsheets are cut off by a cutting apparatus so as to be uniform.

[0005] When the above-described binding technology is used in producinga booklet of a document file, images of four pages of the document fileare formed on each printing sheet, images of two pages being formed oneach side of the sheet. Further, the images of the first page (the frontcover) and the last page (the rear cover) of the document file areformed on the same side of a sheet and the images of the second page andthe page before the last page of the document file are formed on thebackside of that sheet. Because images of four pages of the documentfile are formed on one sheet, when the number of total pages of thedocument file is a multiple number of 4, for example 8, no blank page isproduced in the booklet. However, when the number of total pages of thedocument file is not a multiple number of 4, for example 9 in which amultiple number of 4 (i.e., 8) is added by 1, three blank pages areproduced in the booklet. When the number of total pages of the documentfile is, for example 10 in which a multiple number of 4 (i.e., 8) isadded by 2, two blank pages are produced in the booklet.

[0006] Also, a binding apparatus connected with a copying machine isknown. The binding apparatus is connected with the copying machinedownstream of a sheet discharging part of the copying machine in thesheet discharging direction. Sheets each carrying an image on one orboth sides thereof, discharged from the copying machine, are stacked andjogged, generally without being folded, and are then stapled at edgeportions at one side thereof, at the binding apparatus.

[0007] When such a system in which a binding apparatus is connected witha copying machine is used in producing a booklet of a document file,because a folding function to fold each sheet is not generally providedin the binding apparatus, an image for one page of the document file isformed on one side or both sides of a sheet by the copying machine.

[0008] In such a system in which a binding apparatus is connected with acopying machine, generally, when a previous sheet conveyed from thecopying machine to the binding apparatus is jammed at the bindingapparatus, the image formation for a next sheet has been alreadycompleted at the copying machine, and thereby the next sheet is alsojammed at the same position where the previous sheet has been jammed atthe binding apparatus, resulting in jamming of a plurality of sheets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of theabove-discussed and other problems and addresses the above-discussed andother problems.

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a novelimage forming and binding system and method for producing a booklet of adocument file, in which images of two pages of the document file areformed on each side of a full-size sheet (such as an A3 or B4 sizesheet) conveyed in its longitudinal direction and an image of one pageof the document file is formed on each side of a half-size sheet half asize of the full-size sheet (such as an A4 or B5 size sheet) conveyed inits lateral direction, and in which the full-size sheet conveyed in itslongitudinal direction is folded in two at its center portion in thelongitudinal direction thereof and the folded full-size sheet is stackedone upon another to be bound at its folded side edge portion and thehalf-size sheet conveyed in its lateral direction is conveyed withoutbeing folded to be stacked and bound while being mixed with the foldedfull-size sheet, so that blank pages in the booklet, which are causedwhen the number of total pages of the document file is not a multiplenumber of 4, are reduced.

[0011] The preferred embodiments of the present invention furtherprovide a novel image forming and binding system and method that avoidsjamming of a plurality of sheets from occurring at a binding apparatusof the system, thereby reducing useless image formation at an imageforming apparatus of the system.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, animage forming and binding system for producing a booklet of a documentfile includes an image forming apparatus, an image formation controllerand a sheet folding and binding apparatus. The image forming apparatusincludes a sheet feeding device configured to feed a full-size sheet setto be conveyed in its longitudinal direction and a half-size sheet halfthe size of the full-size sheet and set to be conveyed in its lateraldirection, and is configured to form images on both sides of thefull-size sheet or the half-size sheet fed by the sheet feeding deviceand to discharge the sheet. The image formation controller is connectedwith the image forming apparatus and is configured to control the imageforming apparatus to form images of the document file on both sides ofthe full-size sheet and the half-size sheet fed by the sheet feedingdevice one by one. The image formation controller controls the imageforming apparatus to form images of four pages of the document file oneach full-size sheet fed by the sheet feeding device such that theimages of two pages of the four pages are on each side of the full-sizesheet and images of two pages of the document file on each half-sizesheet fed by the sheet feeding device such that the image of one page ofthe two pages is on each side of the half-size sheet. A sheet receivingdevice of the sheet folding and binding apparatus is configured toreceive the sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus and tofurther convey the received sheet. The sheet receiving device includes asheet size detect device configured to detect if the received sheet isthe full-size sheet conveyed in its longitudinal direction or thehalf-size sheet conveyed in its lateral direction. A folding device ofthe sheet folding and binding apparatus is configured to fold thereceived sheet conveyed by the sheet receiving device in two at itscenter portion in the direction the received sheet is conveyed by thesheet receiving device, when the received sheet has been detected by thesheet size detect device to be the full-size sheet conveyed in itslongitudinal direction, and to further convey the folded received sheetwith the folded center portion thereof being served as the leading edgeof the folded received sheet. The folding device is further configuredto convey the received sheet conveyed by the sheet receiving devicewithout folding the received sheet, when the received sheet has beendetected by the sheet size detect device to be the half-size sheetconveyed in its lateral direction. A jogging device of the sheet foldingand binding apparatus is configured to receive and jog the receivedsheet conveyed by the folding device, one after another, so as to bestacked one upon another. A binding device of the sheet folding andbinding apparatus is configured to bind the stacked received sheets attheir leading edge portions in the direction the received sheets havebeen conveyed by the folding device and to discharge the bound stackedsheets as the booklet.

[0013] In the above-described image forming and binding system, thesheet feeding device of the image forming apparatus may be configured tofeed a plurality of full-size sheets different in sizes and set to beconveyed in their longitudinal directions and a plurality of half-sizesheets respectively half the sizes of the plurality of full-size sheetsand set to be conveyed in their lateral directions. In this case, theimage formation controller is configured to designate one of theplurality of full-size sheets as the full-size sheet for forming theimages of two pages of the document file on both sides thereof, and thesheet size detect device of the sheet receiving device of the sheetfolding and binding apparatus is configured to detect the size of thereceived sheet. Further, the folding device of the sheet folding andbinding apparatus includes a guiding mechanism configured to receive,guide, and stop the received sheet conveyed by the sheet receivingdevice at a predetermined position according to the size of the receivedsheet detected by the sheet size detect device, when the received sheethas been detected by the sheet size detect device to be the full-sizesheet conveyed in its longitudinal direction. The folding device furtherincludes a sheet pushing mechanism configured to push the received sheetguided and stopped by the guiding device downward at its center portionin the direction the received sheet is conveyed by the sheet receivingdevice, and a sheet folding/pressing device configured to pinch thereceived sheet at the center portion thereof pushed by the sheet pushingmechanism so that the received sheet is folded at the center portionthereof by the sheet folding/pressing device and the folded receivedsheet is further conveyed with the folded center portion thereof beingserved as the leading edge of the folded received sheet. Furthermore,the sheet pushing mechanism is configured to guide the received sheetconveyed by the sheet receiving device, when the received sheet has beendetected by the sheet size detect device to be the half-size sheetconveyed in its lateral direction, so as to be further conveyed by thesheet folding/pressing device without being folded by the sheetfolding/pressing device. Further, the jogging device is configured toreceive and jog the received sheet conveyed by the folding device, oneafter another, at a predetermined position in the jogging deviceaccording to the size of the received sheet detected by the sheet sizedetect device, so that the received sheet is stacked one upon another atthe predetermined position.

[0014] In the immediately above-described image forming and bindingsystem, the sheet receiving device of the sheet folding and bindingapparatus may include a correcting mechanism configured to correct anadvancing direction of the received sheet so as to be at a right anglerelative to a longitudinal direction of the sheet folding/pressingdevice of the folding device. The correcting mechanism may include areference guide configured to guide the advancing direction of thereceived sheet to be at the right angle relative to the longitudinaldirection of the sheet folding/pressing device, and a sheet shiftingdevice configured to shift the received sheet, while conveying thereceived sheet, to the reference guide so that the advancing directionof the received sheet is corrected by the reference guide so as to be atthe right angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the sheetfolding/pressing device.

[0015] In the above-described image forming and binding systems, thejogging device of the sheet holding and binding apparatus may include amovable device configured to move to a predetermined position to jog thereceived sheet conveyed by the folding device one after another withrespect to left and right sides thereof in the direction the receivedsheet has been conveyed by the folding device, and the sheet folding andbinding apparatus may include a controller configured to determine ifthe movable device has completed its movement to the predeterminedposition and to generate a signal indicating that the movable device hascompleted its movement to the predetermined position when determined asthat the movable device has completed its movement to the predeterminedposition. The image formation controller controls the image formingapparatus to start image formation for a next sheet after receiving fromthe controller of the sheet folding and binding apparatus the signalindicating that the movable device of the jogging device has completedits movement to the predetermined position.

[0016] In the above-described image forming and binding systems, thesheet folding and binding apparatus may further include a detect sensorarranged between the folding device and the jogging device to detectpassage of the received sheet, and a controller configured to determinethat the received sheet has been jammed and to generate a sheet jammingsignal indicating that the received sheet has been jammed if detectionof the passage of the received sheet by the detect sensor is not startedwithin a predetermined period of time after a leading edge of thereceived sheet has been detected by the sheet size detect device of thesheet receiving device, or when the detection of the passage of thereceived sheet by the detect sensor has started, if the detection is notcompleted within a predetermined period of time after starting thedetection. Further, the image formation controller may control the imageforming apparatus, when controlling the image forming apparatus toperform an image forming operation after receiving from the controllerof the sheet folding and binding apparatus the sheet jamming signalindicating that the received sheet has been jammed, to perform the imageforming operation starting with the images of pages of the document fileformed immediately before.

[0017] Further, in the above-described image forming and bindingsystems, the sheet folding and binding apparatus may include acontroller configured to determine whether or not the folding device,the jogging device and the binding device are respective states readyfor receiving a next sheet, and to generate a signal indicating that thefolding device, the jogging device and the binding device are in therespective states ready for receiving the next sheet when determined asthat the folding device, the jogging device and the binding device arein the respective states ready for receiving the next sheet, and a sheetjamming signal indicating that the received sheet has been jammed whendetermined as that the folding device, the jogging device and thebinding device are not in the respective states ready for receiving thenext sheet. In this case, the image formation controller controls theimage forming apparatus, when the image forming apparatus is in a stateready for starting an image forming operation, to start the imageforming operation upon receiving from the controller of the sheetfolding and binding apparatus the signal indicating that the foldingdevice, the jogging device and the binding device are in the respectivestates ready for receiving the next sheet. Further, the image formationcontroller may control the image forming apparatus, when controlling theimage forming apparatus to perform an image forming operation afterreceiving from the controller of the sheet folding and binding apparatusthe sheet jamming signal indicating that the received sheet has beenjammed, to perform the image forming operation starting with the imagesof pages of the document file formed immediately before.

[0018] Furthermore, in the above-described image forming and bindingsystems, the image formation controller may be configured to control theimage forming apparatus to form the images of the document file on thefull-size sheet and the half-size sheet that are fed by the sheetfeeding device one by one so as to be mixed with each other. The imageformation controller may be further configured to control the imageforming apparatus to form images of given two pages of the document fileon each of a given number of the half-size sheets fed by the feedingdevice so as to be mixed with the full-size sheet.

[0019] Further, in the above-described image forming and bindingsystems, the image formation controller may be configured to set adirection of forming the images of two pages of the document file onboth sides of each full-size sheet to be lateral and a direction offorming the image of one page of the document file on both sides of eachhalf-size sheet to be vertical, and to set upper, bottom, left and rightside margins to each half-size sheet and bottom, left and right sidemargins and a center margin for each full-size sheet.

[0020] Furthermore, in the above-described image forming and bindingsystems, the image forming controller may be configured to control theimage forming apparatus to form the images of four pages of the documentfile on each full-size sheet such that in order of forming the images atthe image forming apparatus, an image of a fourth page of the four pagesand an image of a first page of the four pages are on an upper side andan image of a second page of the four pages and an image of a third pageof the four pages are on a back side of the full-size sheet, and to formthe images of two pages on the half-size sheet such that in order offorming the images at the image forming apparatus an image of a firstpage of the two pages is on an upper side and an image of a second pageof the two pages is on a back side of the half-size sheet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] A more complete appreciation of the present invention and many ofthe attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the samebecomes better understood by reference to the following detaileddescription when considered in conjunction with accompanying drawings,wherein:

[0022]FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing illustrating a configuration of animage forming and binding system for producing a booklet according to anembodiment of the present invention;

[0023]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating states that a full-size sheetconveyed in its longitudinal direction is processed by the sheet foldingand binding apparatus of the system;

[0024]FIG. 3 is a cross section illustrating an exemplary constructionof the sheet folding and binding apparatus;

[0025]FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic drawings illustrating an exemplaryconstruction of the sheet receiving part of the sheet folding andbinding apparatus;

[0026]FIG. 5 is a cross section illustrating an exemplary drivingmechanism of the sheet folding part and the supplemental pressing rollerpair of the supplemental pressing part of the sheet folding and bindingapparatus;

[0027]FIG. 6 is a cross section illustrating the sheet receiving part,the sheet guiding part, the sheet folding part, and the supplementalpressing part of the sheet folding and binding apparatus;

[0028]FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing illustrating an exemplary mechanismof changing the position of the sheet stopper of the sheet guiding part;

[0029]FIG. 8 is a schematic drawing illustrating an exemplaryconstruction of the guiding device for guiding a half-size sheet half asize of the full-size sheet, conveyed in its lateral direction, so as tobe conveyed without being folded toward the jogging part of the sheetfolding and binding apparatus;

[0030]FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing illustrating a returning device forreturning the half-size sheet guided to the sheet guiding part to beconveyed, without being folded, toward the jogging part;

[0031]FIG. 10 is a cross section illustrating an exemplary constructionof the supplemental pressing part and the jogging part of the sheetfolding and binding apparatus;

[0032]FIG. 11 is a cross section illustrating the stapling positiondetermining mechanism, the jogging table upward/downward movingmechanism, and the stack discharging part of the sheet folding andbinding apparatus;

[0033]FIG. 12 is a plan view of the jogging table part of the joggingpart;

[0034]FIG. 13 is a plan view of a part of the jogging table part forexplaining a jogging operation;

[0035]FIG. 14 is another schematic drawing illustrating the joggingtable upward/downward moving mechanism;

[0036]FIG. 15 is a cross section illustrating the binding part and thestack discharging part of the sheet folding and binding apparatus;

[0037]FIGS. 16A-16C are a flowchart illustrating an exemplary procedureof forming images of a document file on sheets by the printer of thesystem under control of the PC of the system;

[0038]FIGS. 17A and 17B area flowchart illustrating an exemplaryoperation of the sheet folding and binding apparatus; and

[0039]FIGS. 18A-18E are an explanatory diagram illustrating acommunication procedure between the PC and the controller of the sheetfolding and binding apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0040] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numeralsdesignate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views,preferred embodiments of the present invention are described.

[0041]FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing illustrating an image forming andbinding system for producing a booklet of a document file according toan embodiment of the present invention. Numeral 1 denotes a personalcomputer (PC) as the image formation controller of the presentinvention, numeral 2 denotes a printer as the image forming apparatus ofthe present invention, and numeral 3 denotes a binding apparatus as thesheet folding and binding apparatus of the present invention. The sheetfolding and binding apparatus folds a sheet in two in the direction thesheet is conveyed, stacks and jogs the folded sheet, one after another,to be stacked one upon another, and then staples the stacked foldedsheets.

[0042] The PC 1 includes a display, a keyboard for operation, a scanner,etc., and performs generation, editing, processing and reading of imageand/or document data of a document, various settings, such as setting ofthe pages of the document file and the number of booklets to beproduced, and displaying of selected modes and states of the system. ThePC 1 stores the image and/or document data as a document file, and afterstorage of the data, performs editing of the data, such as exchanging ofthe pages of the document file.

[0043] The printer 2 as the image forming apparatus includes a sheetfeeding device configured to feed full-size sheets different in sizes(e.g., A3 size sheets and B4 size sheets) in their longitudinaldirections and half-size sheets half sizes of the full-size sheets(e.g., A4 size sheets and B5 size sheets) in their lateral directions.The printer 2 forms images of image data of the document file sent fromthe PC 1 on both sides of a sheet fed by the sheet feeding device. Theprinter 2 forms the images on the sheet for example by an ink jetprinting method or by electrophotography.

[0044] The printer 2 selects a full-size or half-size sheet of adesignated size among from the full-size sheets and the half-size sheetsto be fed, according to an instruction from the PC 1. After formingimages of two pages of the document file (when the sheet is a full-sizesheet) on one side of the fed sheet, the printer 2 reverses the sheetand feeds the reversed sheet again to an image forming part of theprinter 2 for forming images of another two pages of the document fileon the backside of the sheet. The sheet carrying the images on bothsides thereof is discharged from a discharging part of the printer 2.

[0045]FIG. 2 illustrates states that a full-size sheet conveyed in itslongitudinal direction is processed by the binding apparatus 3. Afull-size sheet 4 (for example, an A3 or B4 size sheet) discharged fromthe printer 2 in the longitudinal direction thereof, carrying images ofthe first and fourth pages of a document file on the backside of thesheet 4 and images of the second and third pages of the document file onthe upper side of the sheet 4, as illustrated in the left part offigure, is folded by the binding apparatus 3 in two at the centerportion thereof in the direction the sheet 4 is conveyed (i.e., in thelongitudinal direction of the sheet 4) to be in a state of a foldedsheet 5, as illustrated in the middle part of figure.

[0046] When the document file is of 12 pages, for example, first, asheet 4 conveyed from the printer 2 carrying images of p9, p10, p11, p12of the document file is folded in two to be a first folded sheet 5.Then, a second sheet 4 conveyed from the printer 2 carrying images ofp5, p6, p7, p8 of the document file is folded in two to be a secondfolded sheet 5, and the second folded sheet 5 is stacked on the firstfolded sheet 5. Thereafter, a third sheet 4 conveyed from the printer 2carrying images of p1, p2, p3, p4 of the document file is folded in twoto be a third folded sheet 5, and the third folded sheet 5 is stacked onthe second folded sheet 5. The stacked folded sheets 5 are then stapledat their folded side edge portions to be discharged as a booklet 6.

[0047] In the binding apparatus 3 of this embodiment, a method ofstapling the stack of the folded sheets 5 from the upper side thereof isemployed, and therefore the image formation at the printer 2 isperformed in the order as described above so that the front cover pageor the first page of the document file is on the top of the stack of thefolded sheets 5. However, when a method of stapling the stack of thefolded sheets 5 from the bottom side thereof is used, the imageformation at the printer 2 is performed in the reversed order so thatthe front cover page or the first page of the document file is at thebottom of the stack of the folded sheets 5.

[0048] Further, in the image forming and binding system of the presentinvention, a half-size sheet half the size of the full-size sheet andconveyed in its lateral direction, e.g., an A4 (or B5) size sheet havingthe same width in the direction the half-size sheet is conveyed as theA3 (or B4) size sheet conveyed in the longitudinal direction thereof anda length the half of the A3 (or B4) size sheet in the direction thehalf-size sheet is conveyed, can be inserted between the foldedfull-size sheets 5 of the booklet 6, or before the first or after thelast folded full-size sheet 5 of the booklet 6 so as to serve as thefront cover page or the first page, or the rear cover page or the lastpage of the booklet 6.

[0049]FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary construction of the bindingapparatus 3. The binding apparatus 3 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 3,a sheet receiving part 11, a sheet guiding part 12, a sheet folding part13, a supplemental pressing part 14, a jogging part 15, a binding part16, a stack discharging part 17, an exit part 18, a controller 19, andan operation part 20. The sheet guiding part 12 and the sheet foldingpart 13 constitute a folding device of the present invention.

[0050]FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate an exemplary construction of the sheetreceiving part 11. The sheet receiving part 11 includes, as illustratedin FIG. 4B, a relaying conveying belt 305, a shifting mechanism 307, anentrance roller 33, and a driving part (not illustrated) of the sheetreceiving part 11. The relaying conveying belt 305 receives a sheet 4discharged from the printer 2 and conveys the sheet 4 to the shiftingmechanism 307.

[0051] The shifting mechanism 307 includes (see also FIG. 4A) slantingrollers 302, a motor (not illustrated) for rotating the slanting rollers302, a table 31, an upper guide plate 304, a reference guide 306, and atip end sensor 303 and an intermediate sensor 301. The reference guide306 guides the sheet 4 so that the advancing direction of the sheet 4 isperpendicular to a sheet folding roller pair 42 of the sheet foldingpart 13 (described later). Thereby, when the sheet 4 is a full-sizesheet conveyed in its longitudinal direction, the sheet 4 is folded bythe sheet folding roller pair 42 at a right angle relative to thedirection the sheet 4 is conveyed. The upper guide plate 304 is providedwith a gap formed between the upper guide plate 304 and the table 31.When the sheet 4 is conveyed into this gap and is detected by the tipend sensor 303, the motor for the shifting mechanism and an entrancemotor 21 (FIG. 5) start to rotate, and the slanting rollers 302 rotatewhile slightly pressing the sheet 4 against the upper guide 304. Becausethe slanting rollers 302 are arranged slantingly as illustrated in FIGS.4A and 4B, the sheet 4 between the slanting rollers 302 and the upperguide 304 is conveyed slantingly to be shifted toward the referenceguide 306, so that the sheet 4 is conveyed along the reference guide306. The rollers of the slanting rollers 302 are made of elasticmaterial, so that the sheet 4 is advanced along the reference guide 306without being forcedly pushed against the reference guide 306. The sheet4 passes the intermediate sensor 301 and is conveyed into between theentrance roller 33 and the sheet folding roller pair 42.

[0052] The tip end sensor 303 and the intermediate sensor 301 arearranged such that the distance between the tip end sensor 303 and theintermediate sensor 301 is longer than the half of the length of the A3size sheet as an example of a full-size sheet conveyed in itslongitudinal direction by about 20 mm. Thereby, when the sheet 4 is thehalf-size sheet of the A3 size sheet, i.e., the A4 size sheet, conveyedin its lateral direction, because the width of the A4 size sheet 4 inthe direction the sheet 4 is conveyed is the same as that of the A3 sizesheet conveyed in the longitudinal direction thereof and the length inthe direction the sheet 4 is conveyed is equal to the half of that ofthe A3 size sheet conveyed in the longitudinal direction thereof, the A4size sheet 4 conveyed in its lateral direction is not detected at thesame time by both of the tip end sensor 303 and the intermediate sensor301. That is, when a sheet 4 is detected by the tip end sensor 303 andthe intermediate sensor 301 at the same time, the sheet 4 is an A3full-size sheet conveyed in its longitudinal direction, and when thesheet 4 is not detected by the tip end sensor 303 and the intermediatesensor 301 at the same time, the sheet 4 is a half-size sheet of the A3full-size sheet, i.e., an A4 size sheet, conveyed in its lateraldirection. Thus, whether the conveyed sheet 4 is the A3 full-size sheetconveyed in its longitudinal direction or the half-size sheet of the A3full-size sheet, i.e., the A4 size sheet, conveyed in its lateraldirection, is determined by the controller 19 based upon the detectresult of the tip end sensor 303 and the intermediate sensor 301. Fordetecting if the conveyed sheet 4 is a B4full-size sheet conveyed in itslongitudinal direction or a half-size sheet of the B4 full-size sheet,i.e., a B5 size sheet, conveyed in its lateral direction, anothersensors can be similarly arranged. The tip end sensor 303 and theintermediate sensor 301 for detecting if the conveyed sheet 4 is the A3full-size sheet conveyed in its longitudinal direction or the half-sizesheet of the A3 full-size sheet conveyed in its lateral direction, thesensors for detecting if the conveyed sheet 4 is the B4 full-size sheetconveyed in its longitudinal direction or the half-size sheet of the B4full-size sheet conveyed in its lateral direction, and the controller 19constitute a sheet size detect device of the present invention.

[0053]FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary driving mechanismfor the sheet folding part 13 and the supplemental pressing roller pair45 of the supplemental pressing part 14. As illustrated in FIG. 5, theentrance roller 33 is provided on the sheet folding roller pair 42 witha predetermined pressure applied thereto. A gear 25 is provided on theaxis of the entrance roller 33 at the position outside of a side plateof the binding apparatus 3, and the gear 25 engages with a pulley gear23 fixed to the sheet folding roller pair 42. The pulley gear 23 engageswith a gear 26, which engages via an idle gear 27 with a gear 28 and agear 29 fixed to the supplemental pressing roller pair 45. A pulley 22fixed to the entrance motor 21 and the pulley gear 23 are connected witheach other by a belt 24. When the entrance motor 21 rotates, theentrance roller 33, the sheet folding roller pair 42 and thesupplemental pressing roller pair 45 rotate at the same time. Thus, theentrance roller 33 and the sheet folding roller pair 42 rotate at thesame circumferential speed to convey a sheet 4 conveyed thereto from thesheet receiving part 11 to the sheet guiding part 12.

[0054]FIG. 6 is a cross section illustrating the sheet receiving part11, the sheet guiding part 12, the sheet folding part 13, and thesupplemental pressing part 14.

[0055] The sheet guiding part 12 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 6, anupper guide plate 36, a lower guide plate 37, a sheet stopper 40, and asheet leading edge sensor 39. The upper guide plate 36 and the lowerguide plate 37 are spaced from each other so that the sheet 4 conveyedby the entrance roller 33 slides into between the upper guide plate 36and the lower guide plate 37. A window is provided in the upper guideplate 36 and the lower guide plate 37, and the sheet stopper 40 isarranged so as to slidably engage with the window to stop the sheet 4.The sheet leading edge sensor 39 is arranged in front of the sheetstopper 40 in the sheet conveying direction.

[0056] An adjusting rack 157 is fixed to the sheet stopper 40, and anadjusting pinion 156 fixed to an adjusting axis 38 engages with theadjusting rack 157. With rotation of the adjusting axis 38, theadjusting rack 157 moves, so that the sheet stopper 40 slidably movesalong the window of the upper guide plate 36 and the lower guide plate37.

[0057] Referring now to FIG. 7, when the sheet 4 has been detected to bethe full-size sheet by the sheet size detect device of the sheetreceiving part 12, the positions of the sheet stopper 40 and the sheetleading edge sensor 39 are changed by an adjusting motor 150 accordingto the size of the full-size sheet 4 (such as the A3 or B4 size), whichis also detected by the sheet size detect device of the sheet receivingpart 12 as described above. The adjusting axis 38 is rotatably mountedto both side plates of the main body of the binding apparatus 3, and anadjusting worm gear 154 is fixed to a part thereof outside of the sideplate of the main body to be engaged with an adjusting worm 153.

[0058] The adjusting worm 153 is fixed to an adjusting axis 155, and isrotatably supported by a motor mounting table 158 via a bearing. Anadjusting gear 152 is fixed to one end of the adjusting gear 155, andthe adjusting gear 152 engages with an adjusting gear 151 fixed to anaxis of the adjusting motor 150 fixed to the motor mounting table 158.With rotation of the adjusting motor 150, the adjusting axis 38 rotates,so that the sheet stopper 40 and the sheet leading edge sensor 39 move.

[0059] When the full-size sheet 4, which has been slid into between theupper guide plate 36 and the lower guide plate 37, is stopped by thesheet stopper 40, the sheet 4 slackens downwardly toward the sheetfolding roller pair 42, substantially at a center portion thereof in thedirection the sheet 4 is conveyed, which is out of the upper guide plate36 and the lower guide plate 37. The slackened center portion of thesheet 4 is pinched by the sheet folding roller pair 42 to be put intobetween the sheet folding roller pair 42, so that the sheet 4 is foldedin two by the sheet folding roller pair 42 at the center portion of thesheet 4 in the direction the sheet 4 is conveyed. The sheet foldingroller pair 42 constitutes a sheet folding/pressing device of thepresent invention.

[0060] The sheet folding part 13 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 5, thesheet folding roller pair 42 which is driven by the entrance motor 21 atthe same circumferential speed as that of the supplemental pressingroller 45 as described above. The sheet folding part 13 further includesas illustrated in FIG. 6 an axis 41 freely rotatable relative to theside plate of the main body, a knife unit 35, a solenoid 47 attached tothe outside surface of the side plate, and an arm 48 which is connectedwith the solenoid 47 to rotate the axis 41. A knife 34 is attached tothe knife unit 35, and further a sheet conveying guide 225 (see FIG. 8)is attached to the knife 34 for guiding a sheet 4, when the sheet 4 is ahalf-size sheet, into between the sheet folding roller pair 42. Theknife unit 35 including the knife 34, the solenoid 47, the axis 41 andthe arm 48 constitute a sheet pushing mechanism of the presentinvention.

[0061] The full-size sheet 4 which has been slid into between the upperguide plate 36 and the lower guide plate 37 can be folded by the sheetfolding roller pair 42 at the center portion thereof in the directionthe full-size sheet 4 is conveyed without the knife unit 35 having theknife 34. However, by use of the knife unit 35, the full-size sheet 4can be more reliably folded at the center portion thereof by the sheetfolding roller pair 42.

[0062] When using the knife unit 35, after the sheet leading edge sensor39 detects a leading edge of the sheet 4, at a predetermined timing thesolenoid 47 operates so as to rotate the knife unit 35 around the axis41 in the clockwise direction. Thereby, the sheet 4 is pushed by theknife 34 of the knife unit 35 at the slackened center portion thereofdownwardly toward the sheet folding roller pair 42, so that the pushedslackened center portion of the sheet 4 is reliably pinched by the sheetfolding roller pair 42.

[0063] Once the slackened and pushed center portion of the sheet 4 ispinched by and put into the sheet folding roller pair 42, the solenoid47 is turned off, and at the same time the knife unit 35 is released toreturn to the upper position illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0064] When a half-size sheet of the A3 full-size sheet, i.e., an A4size sheet, conveyed in its lateral direction, is received as the sheet4, as described above, at the sheet receiving part 11, the leading edgesensor 303 does not detect the sheet 4 at the same time when theintermediate sensor 301 detects the sheet 4, and thereby it isdetermined as that the sheet 4 is the half-size sheet of the A3full-size sheet, i.e., the A4 size sheet, conveyed in its lateraldirection. At that time, the solenoid 47 is operated so that the knifeunit 35 is moved to the lower position illustrated in FIG. 8. Thereby,the half-size sheet 4 is guided by the conveying guide 225 attached tothe knife 34 of the knife unit 35 so as to be conveyed into the sheetfolding roller pair 42 without being conveyed to the sheet guiding part12. Thus, the half-size sheet 4 is conveyed by the sheet folding rollerpair 42 to the jogging part 14 without being folded.

[0065] When the knife unit 35 is not used, the half-size sheet 4 (suchas the A4 or B5 size sheet) conveyed in the lateral direction isconveyed into between the lower guide plate 37 and the upper guide plate36. The half-sized sheet 4 is discharged from the entrance roller 33,and is then stopped by the sheet stopper 40 with the trailing end of thehalf-size sheet 4 being protruded out of the lower guide plate 37 andthe upper guide plate 36. When the knife unit 35 is not used, therefore,for conveying the half-size sheet 4 conveyed into between the lowerguide plate 37 and the upper guide plate 36 into the sheet foldingroller pair 42 so as to be conveyed to the jogging part 15, a returningroller 210 is provided as illustrated in FIG. 9.

[0066] In FIG. 9, the returning roller 210 made of, for example, foamedpolyurethane or fur brush, is arranged so as to lightly contact theupper guide plate 36 through the window of the lower guide plate 37. Thereturning roller 210 is configured to give a light returning force forreturning the sheet 4 to the sheet 4 when the sheet 4 is conveyed intobetween the upper guide plate 36 and the returning roller 210.

[0067] The returning roller 210 is rotatably supported by the sideplates of the main body, and when the sheet 4 is conveyed to the sheetguiding part 12, rotation of a returning motor 214 fixed to the sideplates is transmitted to the returning roller 210 by a belt 213 spannedaround a pulley 212 integrated with the returning roller 210 and apulley 215 directly connected with the returning motor 214, so that thereturning roller 210 is rotated. However, the returning roller 210 isconfigured such that when the sheet 4 is being conveyed into between thelower guide plate 37 and the lower guide plate 36, although thereturning roller 210 rotates in the direction to return the sheet 4being conveyed into between the lower guide plate 37 and the upper guideplate 36, the returning roller 210 only slips on the sheet 4. Thus, thereturning roller 210 returns the sheet 4 only when the sheet 4 is notbeing conveyed, so that when the sheet 4 is a full-size sheet conveyedin its longitudinal direction, folding of the full-size sheet 4 is notaffected.

[0068] When the knife unit 35 is not used and the returning roller 210is provided for conveying the half-size sheet 4 to the jogging part 15as described above, the received hall-size sheet 4 is conveyed to thejogging part 15 with the surfaces thereof turned upside down.

[0069]FIG. 10 is a cross section illustrating an exemplary constructionof the supplemental pressing part 14 and the jogging part 15.

[0070] The supplemental pressing part 14 includes as illustrated in FIG.10 the supplemental pressing roller pair 45, an intermediate guide plate43, a sheet sensor 44, and a supporting axis 49 around which theintermediate guide plate 43 rotates in the clockwise direction. When thesheet 4 conveyed by the sheet folding roller pair 42 is jammed at thesupplemental pressing part 14, for removing the jammed sheet 4, theintermediate guide plate 43 is rotated around the axis 49 in theclockwise direction. The supplemental pressing roller pair 45 pressesthe folded portion of a folded sheet 5 conveyed by the sheet foldingroller pair 42 with the folded portion of the folded sheet 5 as theleading edge thereof, so as to be further firmly folded, and conveys thefolded sheet 5 toward the jogging part 15 to be discharged onto ajogging table 57 of the jogging part 15. The sheet sensor 44 detectspassage of the folded sheet 5 to the jogging part 15.

[0071] The jogging part 15 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 10, a sheetcenter thrusting mechanism 200 which thrusts the folded full-size sheet5 or the half-size sheet 4 discharged from the sheet folding part 13onto the jogging table 57 from above, a stapling position determiningmechanism 201 which makes uniform the leading edges of the foldedfull-size sheets 5 and the half-size sheets 4 on the jogging table 57 inthe directions the folded full-size sheets 5 and the half-size sheets 4have been conveyed, a jogging table part 202, and a jogging tableupward/downward moving mechanism 203.

[0072] The sheet center thrusting mechanism 200 includes a sheet centerthrusting plate 50, an axis 56 around which the sheet center thrustingplate 50 swings, an upper guide 59 which guides from above both sides ofthe leading edge of the folded full-size sheet 5 or the half-size sheet4, an axis 51 which is integrally mounted to the sheet center thrustingplate 50, an arm 52 which transmits a swinging force to the sheet centerthrusting plate 50 to swing the sheet center thrusting plate 50, an axis53 which is rotatably mounted to the side plate of the main body andaround which the arm 52 rotates, a solenoid 55 which performs theswinging operation of the sheet center thrusting plate 50, and an arm 54which transmits a force of the solenoid 55 to the arm 52 as a rotationmovement. The arm 52, the axis 53, and the arm 54 are integrated witheach other.

[0073] The stapling position determining mechanism 201 determines theposition where a position determining plate 60 stops to determine theposition where a stapler 121 of the binding part 16 staples a stack ofthe folded full-size sheets 5 and the half-size sheets 4 at the leadingedge portions thereof. Further, the stapling position determiningmechanism 201 pushes back the stapled stack of the folded full-sizesheets 5 and the half-size sheet 4 from the position where the stack ofthe folded full-size sheets 5 and the half-size sheets 4 has beenstapled.

[0074]FIG. 11 is a cross section illustrating the stapling positiondetermining mechanism 210, the jogging table upward/downward movingmechanism 203, and the stack discharging part 17.

[0075] In FIG. 11, the position determining plate 60 stops a foldedfull-size sheet 5 or half-size sheet 4 (not illustrated) being conveyedover the jogging table 57 at a leading edge thereof. An axis 61, towhich the position determining plate 60 is fixed, is rotatably mountedto the side plate of the main body, and an arm 107 is fixed to the axis61 at the outside of the side plate. A spring 108 is mounted to the tipend of the arm 107. The spring 108 always pulls the arm 107 in theclockwise direction, so that a roller 104, mounted to the arm 107, ispressed against a cam plate 106, which is fixed to a stapling positionadjusting knob 105. The stapling position adjusting knob 105 is mountedto the side plate of the main body, and the operation thereof isregulated by a spring (not illustrated) so as to be rotatable only by amanual operation thereof.

[0076] The cam plate 106 fixed to the stapling position adjusting knob105 engages with the roller 104 of the arm 107. The grooves of the camplate 106 are formed such that the heights of the grooves change inseveral steps, and thereby the position of the position determiningplate 60 to stop is adjusted according to the position where thestapling position adjusting knob 105 stops rotating.

[0077] The arm 107 rotatably supports a link 103 at one end thereof, andthe other end of the link 103 is connected with a solenoid 101. With theoperation of the solenoid 101, the arm 107 connected with the link 103rotates in the counterclockwise direction. Thereby, the positiondetermining plate 60 fixed to the axis 61 of the arm 107 swings in thecounterclockwise direction in FIG. 11, so that a stapled stack 6 offolded full-size sheets 5 and half-size sheets 4 on the jogging table 57is pushed back toward right in FIG. 11.

[0078]FIG. 12 is a plan view of the jogging table part 202 of thejogging part 15, and FIG. 13 is a plan view of a part of the joggingtable part 202 for explaining a jogging operation.

[0079] The jogging table part 202 includes a sensor 58 (see also FIG.10) mounted to the jogging table 57 to detect existence of a sheet onthe jogging table 57, and a left side jogging plate 74 for jogging thesheet with respect to the left side of the sheet in the sheet advancingdirection. As illustrated in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, a jogging plate pin 80is fixed to the left side jogging plate 74 and is engaged with a joggingtable guiding groove 71 formed in the jogging table 57 so as to slidablymove in the jogging table guiding groove 71. As illustrated in FIG. 13,a jogging plate rack 82 is attached to the jogging plate pin 80 at theopposite side of the left side jogging plate 74 (i.e., the rear side ofthe jogging table 57). The jogging plate rack 82 is moved by a pulley 86which is rotated by a motor 88 attached to a rear plate 90 of thejogging table 57 via a pulley 87 directly connected with the motor 88and a belt 89.

[0080] Further, the jogging table part 202 includes as illustrated inFIG. 13 a right side jogging plate rack 160 which is moved by a pinionintegrated with the pulley 86. A right side jogging plate 73 is attachedto the right side jogging plate rack 160 via the jogging plate pin 80 insubstantially the same manner as in the jogging plate rack 82. The rightside jogging plate 73 is in the symmetrical position relative to theleft side jogging plate 74 with respect to the sheet on the joggingtable. The right side jogging plate 73 and the left side jogging plate74 operate in a symmetrical manner. The right side jogging plate 73 andthe left side jogging plate 74 constitute a movable device of thepresent invention to move to a predetermined position to jog each foldedfull-size sheet 5 or half-size sheet 4 with respect to left and rightsides thereof in the direction the folded full-size sheet 5 and thehalf-size sheet 4 are conveyed.

[0081] The left side jogging plate 74 is positioned in a predeterminedjogging position at an inner side part of the jogging table 57 in theinitial state, and when the jogging rack 82 moves toward outside (in thearrow direction denoted by “Ou” in FIG. 13), the jogging plate pin 80 ismoved, and thereby the left side jogging plate 74 is moved towardoutside (in the arrow direction denoted by “Ou”). A sensor 83 isarranged at a reference position for movement and driving of the leftside jogging plate 74 and the right side jogging plate 73 at an outerside part of the jogging table 57.

[0082] The right side jogging plate 73 having substantially the sameconfiguration as that of the left side jogging plate 74 is arranged inthe symmetrical position relative to the left side jogging plate 74, andis operated in the symmetrical manner relative to the left side joggingplate 74 by the right side jogging plate rack 160 engaged with thepinion integrated with the pulley 86 driven by the motor 88 as describedabove.

[0083] An end plate part jogs a folded full-size sheet 5 or half-sizesheet 4 discharged onto the jogging table 57 with respect to front andrear sides thereof in the direction the folded full-size sheet 5 andhalf-size sheet 4 are conveyed, in cooperation with the positiondetermining plate 60 of the binding position determining mechanism 201.The endplate part includes, as illustrated in FIG. 13, a pulley 92including a motor 91 fixed to the rear plate 90 of the jogging table 57,a belt 93, a pulley pinion 94, a rear end jogging plate rack 96, an endplate position sensor 97, an end plate 95, etc. The end plate partoperates in the forward and backward directions of the folded full-sizesheet 5 and the half-size sheet 4 by rotation of the motor 91.

[0084]FIG. 14 is another schematic drawing illustrating the joggingtable upward/downward moving mechanism 203. The jogging tableupward/downward moving mechanism 203 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 14(and FIG. 11), a supporting axis 62 for mounting the jogging table 57 toboth side plates of the main body so as to swing, and groove plates 63integrally mounted to the side surfaces of the jogging table 57.Further, arms 64, each having a protrusion which is integral with thearm 64 and which engages with a groove hole of the groove plate 63 tomove in the groove hole, and arms 111, which are rotatable relative tothe side plates of the main body and arranged outside of the sideplates, are fixed to an axis 65.

[0085] The jogging table upward/downward moving mechanism 203 furtherincludes an arm 115 and an interrupting plate 114, which are fixed toand which rotate together with an axis of a motor 116 fixed to the sideplate of the main body, and a link 117 connecting the arm 115 and thearm 111 with each other.

[0086] A sensor 113 and a sensor 112 are arranged so as to oppose eachother via the axis of the motor 116. When the interrupting plate 114rotates together with the axis of the motor 116, the interrupting plate114 interrupts the sensor 113 and the sensor 112.

[0087] When the arm 115, integrated with the axis of the motor 116,rotates, the link 117 is reciprocally moved to swing the arm 111. Whenthe arm 111 is in the left side end position illustrated in FIG. 14, theinterrupting plate 114 interrupts the sensor 112, and when the arm 111is in the right side end position illustrated in FIG. 11, theinterrupting plate 114 interrupts the sensor 113.

[0088]FIG. 15 is a cross section illustrating the binding part 16 andthe stack discharging part 17 of the binding apparatus 3. The staplingpart 16 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 15 (and in FIG. 12), thestapler 121 which is integrated with a rack 123 and an interruptingplate 120, a guide 125 and a guide 126 which guide the stapler 121 topredetermined (u) position and (v) position on the stapling table 128, arack 123 which engages with a pinion 127 fixed to an axis of a motor122, a rack guide 124 which guides the pinion 127 and the rack 123, anda sensor 140 and a sensor 141 which detect the positions of the stapler121 so as to stop the stapler 121 at the predetermined positions (u) and(v).

[0089] The stack discharging part 17 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 15(and in FIG. 12 and FIG. 11), a gear 130 which is fixed to an axis ofmotor 129 fixed to the side plate of the main body, a gear 131 engagingwith the gear 130 and integrated with an axis of a roller 136, an axis133 rotatably supported by the side plate of the main body, and a roller138 which is rotatably supported by a discharging plate 137 fixed to theaxis 133. Further, an arm 134 integrated with the axis 133 is arrangedoutside of the side plate, as illustrated in FIG. 11. The arm 134 isalways pulled by a spring 109 in the counterclockwise direction to bestopped by a stopper 135 at its home position. A spring 110 is attachedto the arm 134, at the side opposite the side the spring 109 isattached, to be connected with a solenoid 102.

[0090] The exit part 18 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 3, an openingpart 171 opened toward the rear side (toward left in figure) of thebinding apparatus 3 and an exit table 170.

[0091] The operation part 20 includes as illustrated in FIG. 3 a display20 b and a reset button 20 a.

[0092] Now, an operation of the image forming and binding systemaccording to an embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0093]FIGS. 16A-16C illustrate an exemplary procedure of forming imagesof a document file created by or stored in the PC 1 on sheets by theprinter 2 under control of the PC 1.

[0094] First, at the PC 1, after selecting the document file, when theuser inputs an instruction for both-sided printing, the PC 1 displays onits display the number of total pages of the document file, messagesrequesting designation of the size of a printing sheet for the documentfile, designation of the page for inserting a half-size sheet half thesize of the printing sheet when the number of total pages of thedocument file is not a multiple number of 4, and specification as towhether to start forming the images of the document file with the lastpage or with the first page of the document file. Then, afterdesignating the size of the printing sheet for the document file to oneof those of A3 and B4 size sheets set to be conveyed in theirlongitudinal direction, designating the page for inserting the half-sizesheet (when the number of total pages of the document file is not amultiple number of 4), and inputting the specification as to whether tostart forming the images of the document file with the last page or withthe first page of the document file, when the user inputs an instructionfor starting the printing, the operation of forming the images of thedocument file is started.

[0095] In step 16-1, the PC 1 opens its communication port forcommunicating with the controller 19 of the binding apparatus 3. The PC1 and the controller 19 of the binding apparatus 3 are connected witheach other by the RS232C interface for exchanging signals.

[0096] In the image forming and sheet binding system of the presentinvention, the PC 1 controls the printer 2 to form images of four pagesof a document file on a full-size sheet (for example, an A3 or B4 sizesheet) conveyed in its longitudinal direction such that in order ofimage formation at the printer 2, an image of a fourth page of the fourpages and an image of a first page of the four pages are on an upperside and an image of a second page of the four pages and an image of athird page of the four pages are on a back side of the full-size sheet,and images for two pages of the document file on a half-size sheet halfthe size of the full-size sheet (for example, an A4 or B5 size sheet)conveyed in its lateral direction such that in order of image formationat the printer 2, an image of a first page of the two pages is on anupper side and an image of a second page of the two pages is on abackside of the half-size sheet. Hereinafter, such four pages or two pagesof a document file, the images of which are to be formed on one sheet,are referred to as a block of the document file.

[0097] In step 16-2, pagination for each block of the document file isperformed. For example, when the number of total pages of the documentfile is 10 and the page for inserting the half-size sheet is designated,for example, to p5, the first block of the document file is paginated as[p4, p1, p2, p3], the second block as [p5, p6] and the third block as[p10, p7, p8, p9], respectively in order of image formation at theprinter 2. The pages enclosed in the symbol [ ] constitute one block.

[0098] In step 16-3, the first page of the block to be formed first atthe printer 2 is obtained. The block to be formed first is determinedaccording to the inputted specification as to whether to start formingthe images of the document file with the last page or with the firstpage of the document. When the specification has been made such thatforming the images of the document file starts with the last page of thedocument file for example, the block including the last page isdetermined as the block to be formed first. Whether to start forming theimages of a document file with the last page or the first page of thedocument file depends on the configuration of the binding part 16. Whenthe binding part 16 is configured to staple the stacked sheets fromabove, the specification should be made such that forming the images ofthe document file starts with the last page, and when the stapling part16 is configured to staple the stacked sheets from below, thespecification should be made such that forming the images of thedocument file starts with the first page of the document file. Thespecification as to whether to start forming the images of a documentfile with the last page or the first page of the document file may bepreset according to the configuration of the binding part 16.

[0099] In step 16-4, whether the sheet for the block to be formed firstis the full-size sheet set to be conveyed in its longitudinal directionor the half-size sheet half the size of the full-size sheet and set tobe conveyed in its lateral direction is determined.

[0100] When the sheet for the block to be formed first is determined asthe full-size sheet, in step 16-5 settings for the full-size sheet aremade to the document file and the printer 2. The settings to thedocument file includes, for example, setting of the size of the printingsheet to the designated size (for example, that of the A3 or B4 sizesheet set to be conveyed in its longitudinal direction), setting of thedirection of image formation to a horizontal (landscape) direction,setting of the margin for the printing sheet to a horizontal margin forthe designated size of the printing sheet, and setting of a centermargin to be ON. The settings to the printer 2 includes, for example,setting of the direction of image formation to a horizontal (landscape)direction, setting of the direction of both-sided printing to ahorizontal (landscape) direction, and setting of up-and-down reversingof the image formation to be OFF.

[0101] When the sheet for the first block is determined as the half-sizesheet, in step 16-6, settings for the half-size sheet are made to thedocument file and the printer 2. The settings to the document fileinclude, for example, setting of the size of the printing sheet to thehalf-size of the designated size (for example, to that of the A4 or B5size sheet set to be conveyed in its lateral direction), setting of thedirection of image formation to a vertical (portrait) direction, settingof the margin for the printing sheet to a vertical margin for thehalf-size sheet, and setting of a center margin to be OFF. The settingsto the printer 2 include, for example, setting of the direction of imageformation to a vertical (portrait) direction, setting of the directionof both-sided printing to a vertical (portrait) direction, and settingof up-and-down reversing of the image formation to be ON.

[0102] In step 16-7, a signal indicating that preparation for imageformation has been completed is sent to the controller 19 of the bindingapparatus 3.

[0103] In step 16-8, existence of a signal from the controller 19 of thebinding apparatus 3 is checked. If the signal exists, whether the signalindicates that a sheet jamming has occurred at the binding apparatus 3or that the binding apparatus 3 is in the state ready for receiving asheet is determined.

[0104] If no signal exists in step 16-8, the operation returns to step16-7 to send again the signal indicating that preparation for imageformation has been completed to the controller 19 of the bindingapparatus 3.

[0105] If the signal from the controller 19 of the binding apparatus 3indicates that a sheet jamming has occurred at the binding apparatus 3,in step 16-9, the first page of the block formed immediately before isobtained, and the operations of steps 16-4, 16-5 or 16-6, and 16-7 areperformed for the block again.

[0106] If the signal from the controller 19 of the binding apparatus 3indicates that the binding apparatus 3 is in the state ready forreceiving a sheet, in step 16-10, the images of the pages of the currentblock are formed by the printer 2.

[0107] In step 16-11, whether or not the image formation for thedocument file has been completed, i.e., whether or not a remaining blockof the document file exists, is determined.

[0108] If the remaining block exists, in step 16-12, the first page of anext block of the document is obtained, and then the processes of steps16-4 through 16-11 are repeated.

[0109] If no remaining block exists, in step 16-13, the pagination ofeach block of the document file returns to the initial state.

[0110] Then, in step 16-14, the communication port of the PC 1 isclosed, and the image formation for the document file at the printer 2ends.

[0111] Next, an operation of the binding apparatus 3 is describedreferring to FIGS. 17A and 17B.

[0112] When the power of the binding apparatus 3 is turned on,respective parts of the binding apparatus 3 move to their initialpositions to be prepared for receiving a sheet 4 (step 17-1), and thecontroller 19 of the binding apparatus 3 is put into a state ready forreceiving a sheet and waiting for a signal indicating that preparationfor starting the operation of image formation has been completed fromthe PC 1, and upon receiving the signal from the PC 1, the controller 9sends to the PC 1 the signal indicating that the binding apparatus 3 isin the state ready for receiving a sheet and so that the printer 2 maystart the image formation (step 17-2). The controller 19 is also putinto the same state, when an operation of stacking and jogging anintermediate sheet at a predetermined position is completed (step 17-9),or when an operation of stapling a stack of sheets and discharging thestapled stack is completed (step 17-11).

[0113] On the other hand, as described above, after the settings to thedocument file and the printer 2 have been completed, the PC 1 sends thesignal indicating that preparation for starting the operation of imageformation for the document file has been completed to the controller 19of the binding apparatus 3. When the PC 1 receives the signal indicatingthat the binding apparatus 3 is in the state ready for receiving a sheetand so that the printer 2 may start the operation of image formationfrom the controller 19 of the binding apparatus 3, the PC 1 starts theoperation of image formation.

[0114] The controller 19 of the binding apparatus 3 memorizes whetherthe signal from the PC 1 is either for the last block or an intermediateblock of the document file, to determine, after the sheet for the blockis stacked and jogged, whether to staple a stack of sheets and dischargethe stack of sheets or to wait for a next sheet.

[0115] The description is now made with respect to an operation of themechanism of the binding apparatus 3. When the power of the bindingapparatus 3 is turned on, respective parts of the binding apparatus 3prepare for receiving a sheet 4 to be conveyed from the printer 2. Asillustrated in FIG. 10, the knife unit 35 is in the (a) position, thecenter sheet thrusting plate 50 is in the (e) position, the positiondetermining plate 60 is in the (k) position, the roller 138 is in the(r) position, and the jogging table 57 is in the (m) position with theinterrupting plate 114 interrupting the sensor 112 and with the arm 64positioning in the (p) position.

[0116] Further, the left side jogging plate 74 and the right sidejogging plate 73 on the jogging table 57 move, by rotation of the motor88 in the clockwise direction, from the outer positions toward thecenter part of the jogging plate 57 to the predetermined joggingpositions. The jogging positions are set for each of the foldedfull-size sheets 5 such as the A3 and B4 size sheets that are conveyedin their longitudinal direction and that are folded in two at respectivecenter portions in the longitudinal direction thereof.

[0117] The end plate 95 moves to the position to interrupt the end plateposition sensor 97. The stapler 121 waits for the folded full-size sheet5 and the half-size sheet 4 at the position (u) where the interruptingplate 120 interrupts the sensor 140.

[0118] When the sheet 4 discharged from the printer 2 reaches theentrance part 11 of the binding apparatus 3 to be conveyed by theconveying belt 305 and detected by the tip end sensor 303, the entranceroller 33, the sheet folding roller pairs 42 of the sheet folding part13 and the slanting rollers 302 of the sheet shifting mechanism of theentrance part 11 start to rotate (step 17-3). The sheet 4 is conveyedalong the reference guide 306, while the position of the sheet 4 isbeing corrected (so that the sheet 4 is folded at a right angle in thedirection the sheet 4 is conveyed, when the sheet 4 is a full-size sheetconveyed in its longitudinal direction) to be conveyed into the entranceroller 33 and the sheet folding roller pair 42.

[0119] As described above, the distance between the tip end sensor 303and the intermediate sensor 301 of the entrance part 11 is made to beabout 20 mm longer than the length of a half-size sheet of the A3full-size sheet (i.e., an A4 size sheet), conveyed in the lateraldirection thereof, in the direction the half-size sheet is conveyed.Therefore, while the A3 full-size sheet conveyed in the longitudinaldirection thereof is detected by both of the tip end sensor 303 and theintermediate sensor 301 at the same time, the half size sheet of the A3full-size sheet (the A4 size sheet), conveyed in the lateral directionthereof, is not detected by both of the sensors 303 and 301 at the sametime. Thus, whether the sheet 4 conveyed from the printer 2 is the A3full-size sheet conveyed in its longitudinal direction or the half-sizesheet of the A3 size sheet (the A4 size sheet), conveyed in its lateraldirection, is determined (step 17-4).

[0120] When the conveyed sheet 4 is detected to be the A3 full-sizesheet 4 for example, the A3 full-size sheet is folded in two (step17-5). When the conveyed sheet 4 is detected to be the half-size sheet4, the half-size sheet 4 is not folded.

[0121] When the conveyed sheet 4 is detected to be the half-size sheet,according to an instruction from the controller 19 based on the detectresult, the solenoid 47 is operated before the half-size sheet 4 isconveyed into between the entrance roller 33 and the sheet foldingroller pair 42 to move the knife unit 35 to the lower position (b)illustrated in FIG. 10, so that the half-size sheet 4 is guided by theconveying guide 225 of the knife unit 35 toward the sheet folding rollerpair 42 located downward of the entrance roller 33. Thus, the half-sizesheet 4 is conveyed by the sheet folding roller pair 42 without beingfolded. When a tip end of the half-size sheet 4 reaches the sheet sensor44, the solenoid 47 is released, so that the knife unit 35 moves to theupper position (a).

[0122] When the conveyed sheet 4 is detected to be the full-size sheet,the knife unit 35 is not operated and stays in the upper position (a)illustrated in FIG. 10. Thereby, the full-size sheet 4 is conveyed tothe sheet guiding part 12. The full-size sheet 4 conveyed to the sheetguiding part 12 is conveyed between the lower guide plate 37 and theupper guide plate 36 of the sheet guiding part 12, the tip end sensor 39detects a tip end of the full-size sheet 4, and sends a detect signal tothe controller 19, and after a predetermined period of time the solenoid47 is operated to move the knife unit 35 in the clockwise direction.

[0123] On the other hand, after the tip end of the full-size sheet 4 isdetected by the tip end sensor 39, the full-size sheet 4 is stopped bythe sheet stopper 40. At this time, because the entrance roller 33 andthe sheet folding roller pair 42 continue to rotate, a portion of thefull-size sheet 4 out of the lower guide plate 37 and the upper guideplate 36 slackens.

[0124] Accordingly, the slackened center portion of the full-size sheet4 is pushed by the knife unit 35 downwardly toward the sheet foldingroller pair 42, so that the pushed center portion of the full-size sheet4 is pinched by the sheet folding roller pair and is put into betweenthe sheet folding roller pair 42, and thereby the full-size sheet 4 isfolded by the folding roller pair 42. The full-size sheet 4 can befolded without use of a knife unit mechanism, however, by using theknife unit 35, the preciseness in folding the full-size sheet 4 at thecenter portion thereof is increased and unsatisfactory folding of thefull-size sheet 4 can be reduced.

[0125] The folded full-size sheet 4 (folded sheet 5) conveyed by thesheet folding roller pair 42 or the half-size sheet 4 guided by theconveying guide 225 of the knife unit 35 without being folded is furtherconveyed into between the supplemental pressing roller pair 45 to befurther pressed and conveyed to be discharged, after passing the sheetsensor 44, onto the jogging table 57.

[0126] When the folded sheet 5 or the half-size sheet 4 is dischargedonto the jogging table 57, the left side jogging plate 74 and the rightside jogging plate 73 are in the predetermined jogging positions forjogging the folded sheet 5 and the half-size sheet 4 at the center ofthe jogging table 57, and the end plate 95 is in the outermost positionto interrupt the end plate position sensor 97.

[0127] After the sheet sensor 44 detects passage of the folded sheet 5or the half-size sheet 4, thereby determining as that no sheet jamminghas occurred (NO in step 17-6), a predetermined period of time later,the solenoid 55 operates to rotate the arm 54, the axis 53 and the arm52, which are integrated with each other, around the axis 53 in theclockwise direction, so that the sheet center thrusting plate 50 rotatesaround the axis 56 to the (f) position to thrust the folded sheet 5 orthe half-size sheet 4 to the jogging table 57 so as to be substantiallyin the horizontal position.

[0128] Thereafter, the left side jogging plate 74 and the right sidejogging plate 73 move to the outer side positions, so that the left sidejogging plate 74 interrupts the left side position sensor 83. When theleft side position sensor 83 is interrupted by the left side joggingplate 74, the motor 88 starts to rotate in the reverse direction, sothat the left side jogging plate 74 and the right side jogging plate 73return to the predetermined jogging positions to jog the folded sheet 5and the half-size sheet 4. Further, the end plate 95 at the positioninterrupting the end plate position sensor 97 is moved by rotation ofthe motor 91 to the predetermined jogging position to jog the foldedsheet 5 or the half-size sheet 4. Thus, the folded sheet 5 or thehalf-size sheet 4 is jogged (step 17-9).

[0129] Thereafter, the solenoid 55 is released and the sheet centerthrusting plate 50 returns to the upper position (e). At the same time,the end plate 95 returns to the position to interrupt the end plateposition sensor 97.

[0130] When the PC 1 completes the image formation for the last block ofthe document file, the PC 1 sends to the controller 19 of the bindingapparatus 3 a signal indicating that the image formation for thedocument file has been completed and no block remains. Therefore, afterthe sheet sensor 44 detects the passage of the folded full-size sheet 5or the half-size sheet 4 and the left side jogging plate 74 and theright side jogging plate 73 complete movement to the predeterminedjogging positions, the controller 19 checks if the signal indicatingthat the image formation for the document file has been completed (i.e.no block remains) exists (step 17-10). If the signal does not exist, theoperation returns to step 17-2.

[0131] The binding apparatus 3 receives a next sheet 4, and when thesheet 4 is detected to be the full-size sheet, folds the full-size sheet4 at the center portion thereof in the sheet conveying direction to be anext folded sheet 5, and the folded sheet 5 is discharged from thesupplemental pressing roller pair 45 on the previously conveyed foldedsheet 5 on the jogging table 57. After the sheet sensor 44 detectspassage of the folded sheet 5, a predetermined period of time later, thesheet center thrusting plate 50 rotates to the horizontal position (f)to thrust the folded sheet 5, and further the left side jogging plate74, the right side jogging plate 73 and the end plate 95 respectivelymove to jog the folded sheet 5. When the sheet center thrusting plate 50rotates upwardly, at the same time the end plate 95 moves back (towardoutside) to stop at the position interrupting the end plate positionsensor 97 to wait there for a next folded sheet 5. Thus, folded sheets 5are conveyed one after another, the sheet center thrusting plate 50thrusts the folded sheets 5 from above, and the left side jogging plate74, the right side plate 73 and the end plate 95 jog the folded sheets5.

[0132] If the sheet sensor 44 does not start detection of passage of thehalf-size sheet 4 or the folded sheet 5 within a predetermined timeafter a leading edge of the received sheet 4 has been detected by thetip end sensor 303, or when the sheet sensor 44 has started thedetection, if the sheet sensor 44 does not complete the detection withina predetermined period of time after starting the detection, thecontroller 19 determines as that the received sheet 4 has been jammed,and generates a sheet jamming signal indicating that the received sheet4 has been jammed, and at the same time displays a sheet jammingindication at the display 20b of the operation part 20 of the bindingapparatus 3 (YES in step 17-6). After removing the jammed received sheet4, when the reset button 20a of the operation part 20 is depressed, thecontroller 19 of the binding apparatus 3 is put into the state ready forreceiving a sheet and waiting for a signal indicating that preparationfor starting the operation of image formation has been completed fromthe PC 1 (step 17-7), and upon receiving from the PC 1 the signalindicating that preparation for image formation has been completed, thejamming signal is sent to the PC 1 (step 17-8), so that the PC 1controls the printer 2 to form the images of the preceding block, whichhave been formed immediately before.

[0133] After the last folded sheet 5 or half-size sheet 4 is dischargedonto the previously stacked folded sheets 5 and the half-size sheets 4on the jogging table 57, if the signal indicating that the imageformation for the document file has been completed (i.e., no blockremains) exists (YES in step 17-10), the sheet center thrusting plate 50thrusts the last folded sheet 5 or half-size sheet 4 from above, theleft side jogging plate 74, the right side jogging plate 73 and the endplate 95 jog the last folded sheet 5 or half-size sheet 4 at thepredetermined positions, the stapler 121 staples the stacked foldedsheets 5 and half-size sheets 4 on the jogging table 57, and the stapledfolded sheets 5 and half-size sheets are discharged (step 17-11). Thestapler 121 staples the stacked folded sheets 5 and half-size sheets 4at their leading edges portions in the direction the folded sheets 5 andthe half-size sheets 4 have been conveyed onto the jogging table 57 atthe (u) position, and thereafter the motor 122 starts to rotate in theclockwise direction to move the rack 121, so that the stapler 121 ismoved from the (u) position to the (v) position where the interruptingplate 120 of the stapler 121 interrupts the sensor 141, and staples thestacked folded sheets 5 and half-size sheets 4 at the (v) position. Thestapler 121 is then returned to the (u) position.

[0134] Upon completion of stapling the stacked folded sheets 5 andhalf-size sheets 4 by the stapler 121 at the (v) position, the sheetcenter thrusting plate 50 is returned to the (e) position, and the endplate 95 on the jogging table 57 starts to move outwardly and stopsafter moving a predetermined distance. At the same time, the solenoid102 is turned on, so that the position determining plate 60 moves fromthe (k) position to the (1) position to thereby push out a stapledbooklet 6 from the opening part of the stapler 121.

[0135] The motor 116 rotates in the clockwise direction until theinterrupting plate 114 interrupts the sensor 113, so that the joggingtable 57 rotates around the axis 62 from the (m) position to the (n)position, and then the motor 129 starts to rotate to rotate the roller113, and at the same time the end plate 95 on the jogging table 57 movestoward the center of the jogging table 57, so that the booklet 6 ispushed toward the booklet discharging part 17. When the booklet 6 ismoved by a predetermined distance, the solenoid 102 is operated so thatthe roller 138 presses the booklet 6 to the roller 136, and the booklet6 is discharged onto the discharging table 140 by the roller 136.

[0136] The sensor 58 detects that the booklet 6 has been discharged fromthe jogging table 57, and thereby a stapling operation is completed andpreparation for receiving a next sheet 4 is started.

[0137] Now, referring to FIGS. 18A-18E, exemplary communication betweenthe PC 1 controlling the printer 2 and the controller 19 of the bindingapparatus 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention isdescribed.

[0138] In this embodiment, the pagination of a document file iscontrolled by the PC 1, and further image formation at the printer 2 iscontrolled such that image formation for a next sheet is performed atthe printer 2 after folding of a previous sheet and jogging of thefolded sheet is completed at the binding apparatus 3, as describedabove. Thereby, unnecessary image formation at the printer 2 is avoided,and at the same time, jamming of a plurality of sheets is avoided andthereby jammed sheet clearing at the binding apparatus 3 is facilitated.

[0139] More specifically, when the printer 2 is configured to performimage formation for a document file independently from the bindingapparatus 3, if a preceding sheet conveyed from the printer 2 to thebinding apparatus 3 is jammed at the binding apparatus 3, subsequentsheets conveyed from the printer 2 are also jammed at the bindingapparatus 3. This causes not only increasing useless image formation atthe printer 2, but also increasing the time for clearing jammed sheetsat the binding apparatus 3, and as a result, the time for completing abooklet. By controlling the printer 2 such that image formation for anext sheet will not be performed at the printer 2 until folding of aprevious sheet and jogging of the folded sheet is completed at thebinding apparatus 3, useless image formation at the printer 2 is avoidedand at the same time jamming of a plurality of sheets is avoided fromoccurring and thereby jammed sheet clearing at the binding apparatus 3is facilitated.

[0140]FIG. 18 illustrates a case of producing a booklet of a documentfile of 12 pages constituted of 3 blocks. In FIG. 18, the operations ofthe PC 1 and the binding apparatus 3 in response to received signals arealso described.

[0141] After completing the pagination of the document file, the PC 1sends every one seconds a signal indicating that preparation of startingimage formation for the first block has been completed to the controller19 of the binding apparatus 3 (step 18-11). On the other hand, when thepower of the binding apparatus 3 is turned on, respective parts of thebinding apparatus 3move to predetermined positions, so that the bindingapparatus 3 is put in a state ready for receiving a sheet, and uponreceiving the signal indicating that preparation of starting imageformation for the first block has been completed, being sent from the PC1 every one seconds, the controller 19 of the binding apparatus 3 sendsto the PC 1 a signal indicating that the binding apparatus 3 is in thestate ready for receiving a sheet (step 18-1).

[0142] Upon receiving from the controller 19 the signal indicating thatthe binding apparatus 3 is in the state ready for receiving a sheet, thePC 1 instructs the printer 2 to form images for the first block [p12,p9, p10, p11] on a sheet (step 18-12).

[0143] Thereafter, the PC 1 sends every one seconds the signalindicating that preparation of starting image formation for the secondblock has been completed to the controller 19 of the binding apparatus 3(step 18-13).

[0144] On the other hand, the binding apparatus 3 receives the sheetcarrying the images of the first block [p12, p9, p10, p11] sent from theprinter 2, folds the sheet and jogs the folded sheet (step 18-2). Aftercompletion of jogging of the folded sheet, the binding apparatus 3 isput into the state ready for receiving a next sheet and waiting forreceiving a signal, and upon receiving the signal indicating thatpreparation of starting image formation for the second block has beencompleted, being sent from the PC 1 every one seconds, the controller 19sends to the PC 1 the signal indicating that the binding apparatus 3 isin the state ready for receiving a sheet (step 18-3).

[0145] Upon receiving from the controller 19 the signal indicating thatthe binding apparatus 3 is in the state ready for receiving a sheet, thePC 1 instructs the printer 2 to form images for the second block [p8, p5p6, p7] on a sheet (step 18-14).

[0146] Thereafter, the PC 1 sends every one seconds the signalindicating that preparation of starting image formation for the thirdblock (last block) has been completed to the controller 19 of thebinding apparatus 3 (step 18-15).

[0147] On the other hand, the binding apparatus 3 receives the sheetcarrying the images of the second block [p8, p5, p6, p7], folds thesheet, stacks the folded sheet on the previously conveyed folded sheetand jogs the stacked folded sheet (step 18-4). After completion ofjogging of the folded sheet, the binding apparatus 3 is put into thestate ready for receiving a next sheet and waiting for receiving asignal, and upon receiving the signal indicating that preparation forforming images for the last block has been completed, being sent fromthe PC 1 every one seconds, the controller 19 sends to the PC 1 thesignal indicating that the binding apparatus 3 is in the state ready forreceiving a next sheet (step 18-5).

[0148] Upon receiving from the controller 19 the signal indicating thatthe binding apparatus 3 is in the state ready for receiving a sheet, thePC 1 instructs the printer 2 to form images for the last block [p4, p1,p2, p3] on a next sheet (step 18-16).

[0149] Thereafter, the PC 1 sends to the controller 19 every one secondsa signal indicating that the image formation for the document file hasbeen completed and no block remains (step 18-17).

[0150] On the other hand, the binding apparatus 3 receives the sheetcarrying the images of the last block [p4, p1, p2, p3], and in thisexample, the received sheet is jammed, the jammed sheet is removed, andthe reset button 20 a is depressed (step 18-6). The binding apparatus 3is then returned to the state before the sheet jamming occurs, i.e., thestate ready for receiving a sheet and waiting for receiving a signal,and upon receiving the signal indicating that the image formation forthe document file has been completed and no block remains, being sentfrom the PC 1 every one seconds, the controller 19 sends to the PC 1 asheet jamming signal indicating that the received sheet has been jammed(step 18-7).

[0151] Upon receiving the sheet jamming signal from the controller 19 ofthe binding apparatus 3, the PC 1 instructs the printer 2 to form theimages for the block immediately before, i.e., for the last block [p4,p1, p2, p3] (step 18-18).

[0152] Thereafter, the PC 1 sends to the controller 19 every one secondsa signal indicating that the image formation for the document file hasbeen completed and no block remains (step 18-19).

[0153] On the other hand, the binding apparatus 3 receives the sheetcarrying the images of the last block [p4, p1, p2, p3], folds the sheet,stacks the folded sheet on the previously stacked folded sheets, jogsthe stacked folded sheet, staples a stack of folded sheets, anddischarges the stapled stack of folded sheets (step 18-8). Aftercompletion of discharging of the stapled stack of folded sheets, thebinding apparatus 3 is put into the state ready for receiving a sheetand waiting for receiving a signal, and upon receiving from the PC 1 thesignal indicating that the image formation for the document file hasbeen completed and no block remains, the controller 19 sends to the PC 1the signal indicating that the binding apparatus 3 is in the state readyfor receiving a sheet (step 18-9).

[0154] Upon receiving the signal indicating that the binding apparatus 3is in the state ready for receiving a sheet from the controller 19 ofthe binding apparatus 3, the PC 1 ends the communication with thecontroller 19 of the binding apparatus 3 (step 18-20).

[0155] As described above, in the image forming and sheet binding systemfor producing a booklet of a document file according to the preferredembodiments of the present invention, a full-size sheet (such as an A3or B4 size sheet) conveyed in the longitudinal direction thereof andcarrying images of two pages of the document file on each side thereofis folded in two at its center portion in the longitudinal directionthereof, so that the folded full-size sheet is stacked one upon anotherto be bound at its folded side edge portion, and a half-size sheet halfthe size of the full-size sheet (such as an A4 or B5 size sheet)conveyed in its lateral direction and carrying an image of one page ofthe document file on each side thereof is stacked, without being folded,while being mixed with the folded full-size sheet.

[0156] Accordingly, the problem that 3 or 2 blank pages are inevitablyproduced in the booklet when the number of pages of the document file isa multiple number of 4 added by 1 or 2 and when only full-size sheets(such as A3 or B4 size sheets) conveyed in their longitudinal directionsare used for producing the booklet is avoided by inserting the half-sizesheet half the size of the full-size sheet (A4 or B5 size sheet)conveyed in its lateral direction.

[0157] Further, the page for inserting such a half-size sheet can bespecified to any page of the document file, such as for example to thefirst page (the front cover page) or the last page (the rear cover page)of the document file, or otherwise to any intermediate page of thedocument file. Accordingly, by using a special paper for the half-sizesheet and specifying the page for inserting the half-size sheet, forexample, to the first page of the document file, the front cover of thebooklet is made by the special paper, so that the quality of the bookletis increased. Further, when a color image is included in a certain pageof the document file, by using a special paper for the half-size sheetsuitable for forming the color image and specifying the page forinserting the half-size sheet to such a page, the color image is formedon the special paper, so that the quality of the booklet is increased.

[0158] Furthermore, the controller 19 of the binding apparatus 3 sendsto the PC 1 the signal indicating that the binding apparatus 3 is in thestate ready for receiving a sheet after the sheet sensor 44 completesthe detection of passage of the folded sheet 5 or the half-size sheet 4within the predetermined period of time after starting the detection,and the left side jogging plate 74 and the right side jogging plate 73complete movement to the predetermined jogging positions and therebycomplete jogging of the folded full-size sheet 5 or the half-size sheet4 at the predetermined jogging positions, and the PC 1 instructs theprinter 2 to start image formation for a next sheet upon receiving thesignal from the controller 19. That is, the printer 2 is controlled suchthat image formation for a next sheet will not be performed at theprinter 2 until folding of a previous sheet and jogging of the foldedsheet is completed at the binding apparatus 3.

[0159] Accordingly, useless image formation at the printer 2 is avoided,and at the same time jamming of a plurality of sheets is avoided fromoccurring and thereby jammed sheet clearing at the binding apparatus 3is facilitated.

[0160] Furthermore, when the received sheet 4 is jammed, after thejammed sheet 4 is removed and the reset button 20 a of the operationpart 20 is depressed, upon receiving from the PC 1 the signal indicatingthat preparation for image formation has been completed, the controller19 sends the jamming signal to the PC 1, so that the PC 1 controls theprinter 2 to form again the images for the block immediately before,i.e. the images which have been formed on the jammed sheet 4.Accordingly, even when a sheet jamming occurs, it is not necessary forthe user to specify the block or page of the document file with whichthe printer 2 starts forming the images of the document file again,which is convenient.

[0161] Numerous additional modifications and variations of the presentinvention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is thereforeto be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, thepresent invention may be practiced otherwise than as specificallydescribed herein.

[0162] The present application claims priority and contains subjectmatter related to Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-292801 filed inthe Japanese Patent Office on Sep. 26, 2001, and the entire contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letter Patent ofthe United States is:
 1. An image forming and binding system forproducing a booklet of a document file, comprising: an image formingapparatus including a sheet feeding device configured to feed afull-size sheet set to be conveyed in its longitudinal direction and ahalf-size sheet half a size of the full-size sheet and set to beconveyed in its lateral direction, and configured to form images on bothsides of the full-size sheet or the half-size sheet fed by the sheetfeeding device and to discharge the sheet; an image formation controllerconnected with the image forming apparatus and configured to control theimage forming apparatus to form images of the document file on bothsides of the full-size sheet and the half-size sheet fed by the sheetfeeding device one by one, the image formation controller controllingthe image forming apparatus to form images of four pages of the documentfile on each full-size sheet fed by the sheet feeding device such thatimages of two pages of the four pages are on each side of the full-sizesheet and images of two pages of the document file on each half-sizesheet fed by the sheet feeding device such that an image of one page ofthe two pages is on each side of the half-size sheet; and a sheetfolding and binding apparatus including, a sheet receiving deviceconfigured to receive the sheet discharged from the image formingapparatus and to further convey the received sheet, the sheet receivingdevice including a sheet size detect device configured to detect if thereceived sheet is the full-size sheet conveyed in its longitudinaldirection or the half-size sheet conveyed in its lateral direction, afolding device configured to fold the received sheet conveyed by thesheet receiving device in two at its center portion in a direction thereceived sheet is conveyed by the sheet receiving device, when thereceived sheet has been detected by the sheet size detect device to bethe full-size sheet conveyed in its longitudinal direction, and tofurther convey the folded received sheet with the folded center portionthereof being served as a leading edge of the folded received sheet, thefolding device conveying the received sheet conveyed by the sheetreceiving device without folding the received sheet, when the receivedsheet has been detected by the sheet size detect device to be thehalf-size sheet conveyed in its lateral direction, a jogging deviceconfigured to receive and jog the received sheet conveyed by the foldingdevice, one after another, so as to be stacked one upon another; and abinding device configured to bind the stacked received sheets at theirleading edge portions in a direction the received sheets have beenconveyed by the folding device and to discharge the bound stacked sheetsas the booklet.
 2. The image forming and binding system according toclaim 1, wherein the sheet feeding device of the image forming apparatusis configured to feed a plurality of full-size sheets different in sizesand set to be conveyed in their longitudinal directions and a pluralityof half-size sheets respectively half sizes of the plurality offull-size sheets and set to be conveyed in their lateral directions,wherein the image formation controller is configured to designate one ofthe plurality of full-size sheets as the full-size sheet for forming theimages of four pages of the document file thereupon, wherein the sheetsize detect device of the sheet receiving device of the sheet foldingand binding apparatus is configured to detect a size of the receivedsheet, wherein the folding device of the sheet folding and bindingapparatus includes a guiding mechanism configured to receive, guide andstop the received sheet conveyed by the sheet receiving device at apredetermined position according to the size of the received sheetdetected by the sheet size detect device, when the received sheet hasbeen detected by the sheet size detect device to be the full-size sheetconveyed in its longitudinal direction, and a sheet pushing mechanismconfigured to push the received sheet guided and stopped by the guidingmechanism downward at its center portion in the direction the receivedsheet is conveyed by the sheet receiving device, and a sheetfolding/pressing device configured to pinch the received sheet at thecenter portion thereof pushed by the sheet pushing mechanism so that thereceived sheet is folded at the center portion thereof by the sheetfolding/pressing device and the folded received sheet is furtherconveyed with the folded center portion thereof being served as theleading edge of the folded received sheet, the sheet pushing mechanismguiding the received sheet conveyed by the sheet receiving device, whenthe received sheet has been detected by the sheet size detect device tobe the half-size sheet conveyed in its lateral direction, so as to befurther conveyed by the sheet folding/pressing device without beingfolded by the sheet folding/pressing device, and wherein the joggingdevice is configured to receive and jog the received sheet conveyed bythe folding device, one after another, at a predetermined position inthe jogging device according to the size of the received sheet detectedby the sheet size detect device, so that the received sheet is stackedone upon another at the predetermined position.
 3. The image forming andbinding system according to claim 2, wherein the sheet receiving deviceof the sheet folding and binding apparatus includes a correctingmechanism configured to correct an advancing direction of the receivedsheet so as to be at a right angle relative to a longitudinal directionof the sheet folding/pressing device of the folding device.
 4. The imageforming and binding system according to claim 3, wherein the correctingmechanism of the sheet receiving device of the sheet folding and bindingapparatus includes a reference guide configured to guide the advancingdirection of the received sheet to be at the right angle relative to thelongitudinal direction of the sheet folding/pressing device, and a sheetshifting device configured to shift the received sheet, while conveyingthe received sheet, to the reference guide so that the advancingdirection of the received sheet is corrected by the reference guide soas to be at the right angle relative to the longitudinal direction ofthe sheet folding/pressing device.
 5. The image forming and bindingsystem according to claim 1, wherein the jogging device of the sheetfolding and binding apparatus includes a movable device configured tomove to a predetermined position to jog the received sheet conveyed bythe folding device one after another with respect to left and rightsides thereof in a direction the received sheet is conveyed by thefolding device, wherein the sheet folding and binding apparatus includesa controller configured to determine if the movable device has completedits movement to the predetermined position and to generate a signalindicating that the movable device has completed its movement to thepredetermined position when determined as that the movable device hascompleted its movement to the predetermined position, and wherein theimage formation controller is configured to control the image formingapparatus to start an image forming operation for a next sheet afterreceiving from the controller of the sheet folding and binding apparatusthe signal indicating that the movable device of the jogging device hascompleted its movement to the predetermined position.
 6. The imageforming and binding system according to claim 1, wherein the sheetfolding and binding apparatus further includes, a detect sensor arrangedbetween the folding device and the jogging device to detect passage ofthe received sheet, and a controller configured to determine that thereceived sheet has been jammed and to generate a sheet jamming signalindicating that the received sheet has been jammed if detection of thepassage of the received sheet by the detect sensor is not started withina predetermined period of time after a leading edge of the receivedsheet has been detected by the sheet size detect device of the sheetreceiving device, or when the detection of the passage of the receivedsheet by the detect sensor has started, if the detection is notcompleted within a predetermined period of time after the detection hasbeen started.
 7. The image forming and binding system according to claim6, wherein the image formation controller is configured to control theimage forming apparatus, when controlling the image forming apparatus toperform an image forming operation after receiving from the controllerof the sheet folding and binding apparatus the sheet jamming signalindicating that the received sheet has been jammed, to perform the imageformation operation starting with images of pages of the document fileformed immediately before.
 8. The image forming and binding systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the sheet folding and binding apparatusincludes a controller configured to determine whether or not the foldingdevice, the jogging device and the binding device are respective statesready for receiving a next sheet, and to generate a signal indicatingthat the folding device, the jogging device and the binding device arein the respective states ready for receiving the next sheet whendetermined as that the folding device, the jogging device and thebinding device are in the respective states ready for receiving the nextsheet, and a sheet jamming signal indicating that the received sheet hasbeen jammed when determined as that the folding device, the joggingdevice and the binding device are not in the respective states ready forreceiving the next sheet, and wherein the image formation controller isconfigured to control the image forming apparatus, when the imageforming apparatus is in a state ready for starting an image formingoperation, to start the image forming operation upon receiving from thecontroller of the sheet folding and binding apparatus the signalindicating that the folding device, the jogging device and the bindingdevice are in the respective states ready for receiving the next sheet.9. The image forming and binding system according to claim 8, whereinthe image formation controller is configured to control the imageforming apparatus, when controlling the image forming apparatus toperform an image forming operation after receiving from the controllerof the sheet folding and binding apparatus the sheet jamming signalindicating that the received sheet has been jammed, to perform the imageforming operation starting with images of pages of the document fileformed immediately before.
 10. The image forming and binding systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the image formation controller isconfigured to control the image forming apparatus to form the images ofthe document file on both sides of the full-size sheet and the half-sizesheet that are fed by the sheet feeding device one by one so as to bemixed with each other.
 11. The image forming and binding systemaccording to claim 10, wherein the image formation controller isconfigured to control the image forming apparatus to form images ofgiven two pages of the document file on each of a given number of thehalf-size sheets fed by the sheet feeding device so as to be mixed withthe full-size sheet.
 12. The image forming and binding system accordingto claim 1, wherein the image formation controller is configured to seta direction of forming the images of four pages of the document file oneach full-size sheet to be lateral and a direction of forming the imagesof two page of the document file on each half-size sheet to be vertical,and to set upper, bottom, left and right side margins to the half-sizesheet and bottom, left and right side margins and a center margin to thefull-size sheet.
 13. The image forming and binding system according toclaim 1, wherein the image formation controller is configured to controlthe image forming apparatus to form the images of four pages of thedocument file on each full-size sheet such that in order of forming theimages at the image forming apparatus, an image of a fourth page of thefour pages and an image of a first page of the four pages are on anupper side and an image of a second page of the four pages and an imageof a third page of the four pages are on a back side of the full-sizesheet, and to form the images of two pages of the document file on eachhalf-size sheet such that in order of image formation at the imageforming apparatus an image of a first page of the two pages is on anupper side and an image of a second page of the two pages is on a backside of the half-size sheet.
 14. A method of producing a booklet of adocument file, comprising the steps of: controlling an image formingapparatus including a sheet feeding device configured to feed afull-size-sheet set to be conveyed in its longitudinal direction and ahalf-size sheet half a size of the full-size sheet and set to beconveyed in its lateral direction to form images of the document file onboth sides of the full-size sheet or the half-size sheet fed by thesheet feeding device and to discharge the sheet by an image formationcontroller, the image formation controller controlling the image formingapparatus to form images of four pages of the document file on eachfull-size sheet fed by the sheet feeding device such that images of twopages of the four pages are on each side of the full-size sheet andimages of two pages of the document file on each half-size sheet fed bythe sheet feeding device such that an image of one page of the two pagesis on each side of the half-size sheet; receiving the sheet dischargedfrom the image forming apparatus by a receiving device of a sheetfolding and binding apparatus, detecting if the received sheet is thefull-size sheet conveyed in its longitudinal direction or the half-sizesheet conveyed in its lateral direction by a sheet size detect device ofthe receiving device, and further conveying the received sheet by thereceiving device; folding the received sheet conveyed by the receivingdevice in two at its center portion in a direction the received sheet isconveyed by the receiving device by a folding device of the sheetfolding and binding apparatus and further conveying the folded receivedsheet with the folded center portion thereof being served as a leadingedge thereof by the folding device, when the received sheet has beendetected to be the full-size sheet conveyed in its longitudinaldirection in the receiving step, and conveying the received sheetconveyed by the receiving device by the folding device without foldingthe received sheet, when the received sheet has been detected to be thehalf-size sheet conveyed in its lateral direction in the receiving step;receiving and jogging the received sheet conveyed by the folding device,one after another, by a jogging device of the sheet folding and bindingapparatus, so to be stacked one upon another; and binding the stackedreceived sheets by a binding device of the sheet folding and bindingapparatus at their leading edge portions in a direction the receivedsheets have been conveyed by the folding device, and discharging thebound stacked sheets as the booklet.
 15. The method according to claim14, wherein the sheet feeding device of the image forming apparatus isconfigured to feed a plurality of full-size sheets different in sizesand set to be conveyed in their longitudinal directions and a pluralityof half-size sheets respectively half sizes of the plurality offull-size sheets and set to be conveyed in their lateral directions,wherein the controlling step includes designating one of the pluralityof full-size sheets different in sizes and set to be conveyed in theirlongitudinal directions as the full-size sheet for forming the images offour pages of the document file thereupon, wherein the receiving stepincludes detecting a size of the received sheet by the sheet size detectdevice, wherein the folding step includes when the received sheet hasbeen detected to be the full-size sheet in the receiving step,receiving, guiding and stopping the received sheet by a guidingmechanism of the folding device at a predetermined position according tothe size of the received sheet detected in the receiving step, pushingby a pushing mechanism of the folding device the received sheet stoppedby the guiding mechanism downward at its center portion in the directionthe received sheet is conveyed by the receiving device, and pinching thereceived sheet by a sheet folding/pressing device of the folding deviceat the center portion thereof pushed by the pushing mechanism so thatthe received sheet is folded at the center portion thereof by the sheetfolding/pressing device and the folded received sheet is furtherconveyed with the folded center portion thereof being served as theleading edge of the folded received sheet, and when the received sheethas been detected to be the half-size sheet in the receiving step,guiding the received sheet by the pushing mechanism so as to be furtherconveyed by the sheet folding/pressing device without being folded bythe sheet folding/pressing device, and wherein in the receiving andjogging step the received sheet conveyed by the sheet folding/pressingdevice is received and jogged one after another by the jogging device ata predetermined position in the jogging device according to the size ofthe received sheet detected in the receiving step, so as to be stackedone upon another at the predetermined position.
 16. The method accordingto claim 15, wherein the receiving step includes correcting an advancingdirection of the received sheet so as to be at a right angle relative toa longitudinal direction of the sheet folding/pressing device.
 17. Themethod according to claim 16, wherein the correcting step includesshifting the received sheet to a reference guide so that the advancingdirection of the sheet is corrected by the reference guide so as to beat the right angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the sheetfolding/pressing device.
 18. The method according to claim 14, whereinthe receiving and jogging step includes moving a movable device of thejogging device to a predetermined position so that the received sheetconveyed by the folding device is jogged with respect to left and rightsides thereof in a direction the received sheet has been conveyed by thefolding device, and determining by a controller of the sheet folding andbinding apparatus if the movable device has completed its movement tothe predetermined position and generating a signal indicating that themovable device has completed its movement to the predetermined positionwhen determined as that the movable device has completed its movement tothe predetermined position, wherein the controlling step includescontrolling the image forming apparatus to start an image formingoperation for a next sheet after the image formation controller receivesfrom the controller of the sheet folding and binding apparatus thesignal indicating that the movable device of the jogging device hascompleted its movement to the predetermined position.
 19. The methodaccording to claim 14, further comprising the steps of: detectingpassage of the received sheet by a detect sensor arranged between thefolding device and the jogging device; and determining as that thereceived sheet has been jammed and generating a sheet jamming signalindicating that the received sheet has been jammed by a controller ofthe sheet folding and binding apparatus if the detecting step is notstarted within a predetermined period of time after a leading edge ofthe received sheet has been detected by the sheet size detect device inthe receiving step, or when the detecting step has started, if thedetecting step is not completed within a predetermined period of timeafter starting the detecting step.
 20. The method according to claim 19,wherein the controlling step includes controlling the image formingapparatus by the image formation controller, when controlling the imageforming apparatus to perform an image forming operation after receivingfrom the controller of the sheet folding and binding apparatus the sheetjamming signal indicating that the received sheet has been jammed, tocontrol the image forming apparatus to perform the image formingoperation starting with images of pages of the document file formedimmediately before.
 21. The method according to claim 14, furthercomprising the step of: determining whether or not the folding device,the jogging device and the binding device are respective states readyfor receiving a next sheet, and generating a signal indicating that thefolding device, the jogging device and the binding device are in therespective states ready for receiving the next sheet when determined asthat the folding device, the jogging device and the binding device arerespective states ready for receiving the next sheet and a sheet jammingsignal indicating that the received sheet has been jammed whendetermined as that the folding device, the jogging device and thebinding device are not in the respective states ready for receiving thenext sheet, by a controller of the sheet folding and binding apparatus;and wherein the controlling step includes controlling the image formingapparatus by the image formation controller, when the image formingapparatus is in a state ready for starting an image forming operation,to start the image forming operation, upon receiving from the controllerof the sheet folding and binding apparatus the signal indicating thatthe folding device, the jogging device and the binding device are in therespective states ready for receiving the next sheet.
 22. The methodaccording to claim 21, wherein the controlling step includes controllingthe image forming apparatus by the image formation controller, whencontrolling the image forming apparatus to perform an image formingoperation after receiving from the controller of the sheet folding andbinding apparatus the sheet jamming signal indicating that the receivedsheet has been jammed, to perform the image forming operation startingwith images of pages of the document file formed immediately before. 23.The method according to claim 14, wherein the controlling step includescontrolling the image forming apparatus to form the images of thedocument file on both sides of the full-size sheet and the half-sizesheet that are fed by the sheet feeding device so as to be mixed witheach other.
 24. The method according to claim 23, wherein thecontrolling step includes controlling the image forming apparatus toform images of given two pages of the document file on each of a givennumber of the half-size sheets fed by the sheet feeding device so as tobe mixed with the full-size sheet.
 25. The method according to claim 14,wherein the controlling step includes setting a direction of forming theimages of four pages of the document file on each full-size sheet to belateral and a direction of forming the images of two pages of thedocument file on each half-size sheet to be vertical, and setting upper,bottom, left and right side margins to the half-size sheet and bottom,left and right side margins and a center margin to the full-size sheet.26. The method according to claim 14, wherein the controlling stepincludes controlling the image forming apparatus to form the images offour pages of the document file on each full-size sheet such that inorder of forming the images at the image forming apparatus, an image ofa fourth page of the four pages and an image of a first page of the fourpages are on an upper side and an image of a second page of the fourpages and an image of a third page of the four pages are on a back sideof the full-size sheet, and to form the images of two pages of thedocument file on each half-size sheet such that in order of forming theimages at the image forming apparatus an image of a first page of thetwo pages is on an upper side and an image of a second page of the twopages is on a back side of the half-size sheet.
 27. A method ofproducing a booklet of a document file, comprising the steps of: formingimages of the document file on both sides of a sheet by an image formingapparatus and discharging the sheet therefrom, the sheet is beingselected from a full-size sheet set to be conveyed in its longitudinaldirection and a half-size sheet half a size of the full-size sheet andset to be conveyed in its lateral direction; receiving the sheetdischarged from the image forming apparatus, detecting if the receivedsheet is the full-size sheet conveyed in its longitudinal direction orthe half-size sheet half conveyed in its lateral direction, and furtherconveying the received sheet; folding the received sheet in two at itscenter portion in a direction the received sheet is conveyed when thereceived sheet has been detected to be the full-size sheet in thereceiving step and further conveying the folded received sheet with thefolded center portion thereof being served as a leading edge of thefolded received sheet, and conveying the received sheet without foldingthe received sheet when the received sheet has been detected to be thehalf-size sheet in the receiving step; receiving and jogging thereceived sheet, conveyed one after another, to be stacked one uponanother; binding the stacked received sheets at their leading edgeportions in a direction the received sheets have been conveyed; anddischarging the bound received sheets as the booklet.
 28. A sheetfolding and binding apparatus, comprising: a sheet receiving deviceconfigured to receive a sheet carrying images on both sides thereof,discharged from an image forming apparatus, and to further convey thereceived sheet, the sheet receiving device including a sheet size detectdevice configured to detect if the received sheet has a predeterminedlength in a direction the received sheet is conveyed; a folding deviceconfigured to fold the received sheet conveyed by the sheet receivingdevice in two at its center portion in the direction the received sheetis conveyed by the sheet receiving device, when the received sheet hasbeen detected by the sheet size detect device of the sheet receivingdevice to have the predetermined length in the direction the receivedsheet is conveyed by the sheet receiving device, and to further conveythe folded received sheet with the folded center portion thereof beingserved as a leading edge of the folded received sheet; a directlyconveying device configured to guide the received sheet conveyed by thesheet receiving device so as to be further conveyed by the foldingdevice without being folded by the folding device, when the receivedsheet has been detected by the sheet size detect device of the sheetreceiving device not to have the predetermined length in the directionthe received sheet is conveyed by the sheet receiving device; a joggingdevice configured to receive and jog the received sheet conveyed by thefolding device, one after another, so as to be stacked one upon another;and a binding device configured to bind the stacked received sheets attheir leading edge portions in a direction the received sheets isconveyed by the folding device.
 29. The sheet folding and bindingapparatus according to claim 28, wherein the directly conveying deviceis an integral part of the folding device.
 30. The sheet folding andbinding apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the folding deviceincludes a guiding mechanism configured to receive and guide thereceived sheet conveyed by the sheet receiving device, and a sheetfolding/pressing device configured to pinch the received sheet at itscenter portion in the direction the received sheet is conveyed by thesheet receiving device so that the received sheet is folded at itscenter portion when the received sheet has been detected by the sheetsize detect device of the sheet receiving device to have thepredetermined length in the direction the received sheet is conveyed bythe sheet receiving device and to further convey the folded receivedsheet with the folded center portion thereof being served as a leadingedge of the folded received sheet, and wherein the directly conveyingdevice is an integral part of the guiding mechanism of the foldingdevice.
 31. The sheet folding and binding apparatus according to claim30, wherein the directly guiding device in the guiding mechanism of thefolding device includes a returning device configured to return thereceived sheet conveyed by the sheet receiving device so as to beconveyed by the sheet folding/pressing device, without being folded bythe sheet folding/pressing device, to the jogging device, when thereceived sheet has been detected by the sheet size detect device of thesheet receiving device not to have the predetermined length in thedirection the received sheet is conveyed by the sheet receiving device.32. The sheet folding and binding apparatus according to claim 29,wherein the folding device includes a sheet pushing mechanism configuredto push the received sheet downward at its center portion in thedirection the received sheet is conveyed by the sheet receiving devicewhen the received sheet has been detected by the sheet size detectdevice to be the full-size sheet conveyed in its longitudinal direction,and a sheet folding/pressing device configured to pinch the receivedsheet at the center portion thereof pushed by the sheet pushingmechanism so that the received sheet is folded at the center portionthereof by the sheet folding/pressing device to be further conveyed withthe folded center portion thereof being served as the leading edge ofthe folded received sheet, and wherein the directly conveying device isan integral part of the sheet pushing mechanism of the folding device.33. The sheet folding and binding apparatus according to claim 30,wherein the sheet receiving device includes a correcting mechanismconfigured to correct an advancing direction of the received sheet so asto be at a right angle relative to the sheet folding/pressing device.34. The sheet folding and binding apparatus according to claim 33,wherein the correcting mechanism of the sheet receiving device of thesheet folding and binding apparatus includes a reference guideconfigured to guide the advancing direction of the received sheet to beat the right angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the sheetfolding/pressing device, and a sheet shifting device configured to shiftthe received sheet, while conveying the received sheet, to the referenceguide so that the advancing direction of the received sheet is correctedby the reference guide so as to be at the right angle relative to thelongitudinal direction of the sheet folding/pressing device.
 35. Thesheet folding and binding apparatus according to claim 28, furthercomprising: a detect sensor arranged between the folding device and thejogging device to detect the received sheet; and a controller configuredto determine that the received sheet has been jammed and to generate asheet jamming signal indicating that the received sheet has been jammedwhen the received sheet has not been detected by the detect sensor in apredetermined period of time after a leading edge of the received sheethas been detected by the sheet size detect sensor or when the receivedsheet continues to be detected by the detect sensor more than apredetermined period of time.